FESTIVAL
OF MAKAR SANKRANTI

Makar
Sankranti is celebrated every year on JANUARY 14th. Makar Sankranti
marks the end of a long winter with the return of the Sun to the
Northern Hemisphere. Makara literally means 'Capricorn' and Sankranti
is the day when the sun passes from one sign of the zodiac to the next.

Image courtesy
of Flikr.com/meanestindian

The Sankranti
of any month is considered auspicious as it signifies a fresh start. However Makara
Sankranti is celebrated in the month of Magha when the sun passes through the
winter solstice, from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn.

This festival has been celebrated
for thousands of years. Initially, this was probably a festival celebrated in
the cold climate, when people prayed for the warmth of the sun. In all likelihood,
the Aryans celebrated it, and continued to do so after migrating to India. Today,
Makara Sankranti is celebrated throughout India as a harvest festival.

Makar Sankranti
marks the commencement of the sun's journey to the Northern Hemisphere
and is celebrated on the 14 of January every year all over India. It
is also a celebration of the harvest festival.
People take dips in rivers and worship the Sun God especially in the
holy Ganges river. The dip is said to purify the self and bestow
"punya". Special puja is offered as a thanksgiving for good
harvest. According to folklore, girls who take the holy dip get
handsome husbands and boys get beautiful brides.

Makar Sankranti
is perhaps the only Indian festival whose date always falls on the
same day every year i.e. the 14th of January. Can you guess why? This
is because the festival of Sankranti is based on the solar calendar
unlike the rest of Indian festivals, which are based on the lunar
calendar.

During six months
of the year, the days are longer than the nights. During the other six
months, the nights are longer than the days. Have you noticed this?

The first
period is called Uttaraayana.
Uttara means north. Then the sun moves north from the centre of the
sky. The second period is Dakshinaayaria.
Dakshina means south. The sun moves southwards now. The Uttaraayana
starts roughly in the period January-February.

The day
Uttaraayana starts is called Makar Sankranti.
That day is very auspicious. We celebrate it as a festival all over
the country. People bathe in holy waters. They worship the sun-god and
give away gifts. During the six following months, happy events like
marriages are celebrated.

Many
Melas or fairs are held on Makar Sankranti the most famous being the
Kumbh Mela.

Kumbha Mela

Kuumbha
(Kumbha means pot) Mela (means fair) is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage that
takes place at the following four locations of India:

Prayag, Allahabad (in the
state of Uttar Pradesh) at the confluence of three holy rivers -
Ganga (Ganges), Yamuna and Saraswati

Haridwar (in the state of
Uttar Pradesh) where the river Ganga enters the plains from
Himalayas

Ujjain (in Madhya Pradesh),
on the banks of shipra river, and

Nasik (in Maharashtra) on
the banks of Godavari river.

The pilgrimage occurs four
times every twelve years, once at each of the four locations. Each
twelve-year cycle includes the Maha (great) Kumbha Mela at Prayag,
attended by millions of people, making it the largest pilgrimage
gathering around the world.

Makar Sankranti
is celebrated in Kerala at Sabarimala where the Makara Jyothi is
visible followed by the Makara Vilakku celebrations.

GUJARAT

In Gujarat, there
is a custom of giving gifts to relatives. The elders in the family
give gifts to the younger members of the family. The Gujarati Pundits
on this auspicious day grant scholarships to students for higher
studies in astrology and philosophy. This festival thus helps the
maintenance of social relationships within the family, caste and
community. Kite flying has been associated with this festival in a big
way. It has become an internationally known event.Brightly
colored kites dot the
skies, in celebration of Makar Sankranti. It is considered quite
a sport and you will see many competitions held on that day. Here
are some kids flying a kite from a roof top !

"Kaipoche"
means that your "patang" or kite has been cut ! "Manja"
is the string used to fly the kites.

Watch the song
from the movie "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" about the kite
flying festival here on YouTube

MAHARASHTRA

In Maharashtra
people exchange sweets called Tilache
ladoomade
from sesame seeds, sugar and jaggery and greet each other saying
- "til-gul
ghya, god god bola"
meaning "accept these tilguls and speak sweet words".
Maharashtrian women wear a special black saree called chandrakala
which is embossed with crescent moons and starsand get together with
other married women to exchange tilgul with a special ceremony called
"Haldi Kunku".

PUNJAB

In Punjab
huge bonfires are lit on the eve of Sankrant and which is celebrated
as "Lohri". Sweets, sugarcane and rice are thrown in the
bonfires, around which friends and relatives gather together. The
following day, which is Sankrant is celebrated as MAGHI. The Punjabi's
dance their famous "Bhangra dance" and enjoy a huge festival
meal which includes Sarson Ka Saag and Makki Di Roti.

ASSAM

In Assam,
the festival is celebrated as "Bhogali Bihu" Being the month
of Magha, the fair held at the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and
the Sarasvati rivers at Triveni in Allahabad is also called Magha Mela.

UTTAR PRADESH

In Uttar
Pradesh a ritual bath in the river is important on this day. In fact,
bathing is considered mandatory on this day, and according to a
popular local belief in the hills of Uttar Pradesh, one who does not
bathe on Makara Sankranti is born a donkey in his next birth. The
belief probably originated in cold climates to compel some of the more
reluctant people to observe certain rules of hygiene. Khichiri is
eaten and given away as charity, and some call the festival Khichiri
Sankranti. People also distribute rice and lentils to the poor
and needy. In Maharashtra, a special dish called tilgul, or laddoos
made of jaggery and Sesame seed, the chief crop of the season, is
popular.

A big fair is held at the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the
Sarasvati rivers at Triveni in Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) on this
occasion. Being the month of Magha, this fair is also called Magha
Mela. Apart from Triveni, ritual bathing also takes place at many
places like Haridvar and Garh Mukteshwar in Uttar Pradesh, and Patna
in Bihar. Since it is also the season to fly kites, the evening sky is
awash with colorful kites of all shapes and sizes. Several kite
competitions are held in various localities.

KARNATAKA

In Karnataka,
the festival is marked by visiting one's friends and relatives to
exchange greetings, and by the preparation of a dish called Ellu (made
with sesame seeds, coconuts, sugar blocks, etc). A common custom found
across Karnataka is the exchange of sugarcane pieces and Ellu with
one's neighbors, friends and relatives. In Karnataka, Pongal is known
as 'Sankranti', and cows and bullocks are gaily decorated and fed 'Pongal'-
a sweet preparation of rice. Special prayers are offered. In the
evening, the cattle are led out in procession to the beat of drums and
music.

In the night a
bonfire is lit and the animals are made to jump over the fire. Makar
Sankranti is marked by men, women and children wearing colorful
clothing; visiting near and dear ones; and exchanging pieces of
sugarcane, a mixture of fried til, molasses, pieces of dry coconut,
peanuts and fried gram. On this auspicious day, people in Karnataka
distribute Yellu and Bella (Sesame seeds and Jaggery) and greet with
the words " “Ellu bella thindu, Olle Maathu Aadu” (Eat sesame
seeds and speak only good). The significance of this exchange is that
sweetness should prevail in all the dealings.

TAMIL NADU

In South
India, Sankrant is known by the name of "Pongal". The day after Sankranti is Pongal-day.
This festival is observed specially in Tamil Nadu.

On that day people
bathe the cow, put "tilak" on its forehead, tie beads and
ornaments round its horns and neck, and worship it. They feed it with
feet cakes.

The cow
is a useful animal. It gives us milk, from which we make curd, butter
and butter -milk. It is like a mother to us all. We show our gratitude
to her on that day.In
ancient times cows were counted as wealth, just as we count rupees
now.

There is another
custom in Tamil Nadu. On the day of the festival women bathe early in
the morning and cook new harvested rice in a big fresh earthen pot
called Pongal.
When the rice boils and overflows, they shout joyfully ‘Pongal-O-pongal!"
That is why it is called Pongal-day.

After offering
the cooked rice to God, by way of thanks, the family and friends eat
it. People exchange greetings on that day. They celebrate it just like
a New Year’ day.